One free agency signing for the Los Angeles Lakers that may be the least talked about is the addition of point guard Collin Sexton. The former lottery pick brings serious offensive firepower and will bring a big boost off the bench for the Lakers while also being more than capable of starting if need be.
But something else he also plans to bring to the Lakers, and something he says the organization is looking for overall, is toughness.
“Just toughness. I would say the toughness,” Sexton said when asked about the vision the Lakers laid out for him. “They wanna be able to compete in all aspects. On the defensive side, but also the offensive side and just being able to change the pace of the game whenever it’s needed. I feel like sometimes walking the ball up and letting the other team set up their defense is tough, sometimes you gotta be able to change the flow. We talked and it was a really good conversation and they believe in me. I just feel like at the end of the day whenever a coach believes in you, and like you said he’s gonna be hard on me and yell at scream at me so I like that. I think that’s what gets the best from me.”
Sexton has always been known as a fierce competitor on the court, ready to lock in and compete at the highest level. That type of attitude is necessary on any team and his fire can help to motivate and push his teammates when energy is threatening to wane.
Sexton’s offensive ability has been proven throughout his eight-year career so far. He has averaged 18.3 points and 3.6 assists in his career while shooting 47.2% from the field and 38.9% from 3-point range. He can operate both on and off the ball and will undoubtedly benefit from playing alongside elite playmakers like Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
But the fire and fight he brings as a competitor will also be extremely important. Marcus Smart was a major catalyst for the Lakers last season because of that energy and toughness and Sexton hopefully will help replace some of that this season.
Collin Sexton hopes to emulate Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley for Lakers
Coincidentally, Smart was one of the players mentioned by Sexton as a player he hopes to emulate for the Lakers, with the point guard also mentioning another defensive standout in Avery Bradley.
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